A new effort to prevent welfare money from being used for alcohol, tobacco and lottery tickets is being considered by state lawmakers.

Welfare spending is the biggest item in the state budget and some state lawmakers have said it's being wasted on non-essential items.

Lawmakers said there are many examples of welfare being spent in ways it was not intended.

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"By far, the majority of Pennsylvanians don't want to see welfare benefits going for alcohol, cigarettes or gambling," said Rep. Stephen Bloom.

Bloom said he has signed on with more than 70 other state lawmakers in support of House Bill 800 that will stop welfare spending on items well beyond basic necessities.

"Most taxpayers don't mind helping the truly needy, but they want to help them in a way that puts their basic needs, food, clothing shelter, not luxury items and items that may even be destructive," Bloom said.

Another example of welfare abuse is people who pay cash for public assistance access cards for well below the value.

"They prey upon people by paying them only a discounted value of what the benefits are worth, so really the unscrupulous operators are ripping off the welfare recipient as well," Bloom said.

The legislation would also require that all benefits be used only at a point-of-sale terminal approved by the state, so the money is spent only for what it's intended -- basic necessities.

"We've got to take steps that may not be the most popular steps, but we've got to take steps to rein in the costs of public welfare and do so in a fair way that still protects the needy among us," Bloom said.

In Pennsylvania, there are more than 800,000 households getting some level of public assistance. How that money is spent is not a matter of public record.

Bloom says House Bill 800 will stop wasteful spending and fraud as it happens. He said he believes the bill could be passed by the end of the year with more public support.